Our top five UK staycations
Here at Byway we are all about helping you get away from the norm, exploring the ‘other’ and, if you’re staying close to home, seeking out UK staycations that are natural nirvanas. Here are some of our favourite UK holiday destinations, with slow journeys through spectacular places many of which are well off the beaten track.
Photograph: Benjamin Elliot/Unsplash
Northern Cornwall by train
London | Penzance | St.Ives | Padstow
The London to Penzance train journey transports you from the capital to Cornwall in just over five hours, clinging to the coast for a large part of the journey. We recommend taking the train right down to the tip of the south-west peninsula, with mesmerising views en route, and then slowly working your way back up the north coast over the course of your holiday.
Although most of us would give our hind leg to spend weeks in Cornwall, few are lucky enough to have the time. Our local experts have put together a seven day itinerary featuring what we believe to be some of the best places to visit in Cornwall, all delightfully accessible by train and bus. This trip takes in many of the county’s natural heritage highlights, including the tidal island of St Michael’s Mount, the South West Coast Path and the Camel Trail along the Camel Estuary, a celebrated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).
Outstanding is Cornwall’s middle name in fact, with magnificent hotels, hostels and homestays peppering this prettiest of counties. Of course, we have our favourites, and we’ll recommend and book the best of them for you as part of your Byway holiday. For a taste of the trip from your home, take a look at this St. Ives webcam - if you catch it on a windy day you can almost feel the salt spray.
Photograph: Bjorn Snelders/Unsplash
Inner Hebrides by train and ferry
Glasgow | West Highland Line | Arrochar and Tarbet | Loch Lomond | Isle of Mull | Corrour | Glenfinnan Viaduct | Mallaig | Fort William
Ten days exploring Scotland by rail, in particular the Western Highlands and Islands, is a three in one when it comes to slow travel greats: a transport, trekking and exploring dream, with a wide array of wildlife along the way. Starting in Glasgow, you quickly forget all things urban when you board the world renowned West Highland Line and pull into Arrochar and Tarbet station, a short walk from the shores of Loch Lomond.
From Loch Lomond you head north, through the remote Rannoch Moor. Hikers revel in the wild landscapes around Loch Ossian, which you can access via one of the UK’s most remote stations at Corrour. Heading west to the coast and the train station at Mallaig, it’s just a minute’s walk to the ferry port for the Hebridean islands. We can arrange your itinerary to include island idylls of your choice, our personal highlights including Eigg, Muck and Rum.
If you’re coming from the south, we can also book your travel to the Highlands; the fastest train between London to Glasgow by train takes just under five hours.
Photograph: Pedro Szekely/Flickr
Slow travel in the West Country
London | Chippenham | Bradford-on-Avon | Bath | Bristol | Clevedon
The West Country is like a perfectly wrapped present of English prettiness and, if planned well with local insight, a truly delightful UK holiday destination. As well as boasting the culturally rich cities of Bath and Bristol, with their respective Roman and maritime heritage, the counties of Somerset and Wiltshire are jumping off points for areas of great natural beauty.
Two of the best West Country historic market towns, which are off the traditional tourist trail and on the banks of the River Avon, are Chippenham and Bradford-on-Avon. The former is just 6km from the Cotswold Hills so there are plenty of opportunities to explore this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty on foot. The latter is considered one of England’s finest stops for afternoon tea, especially after a day of walking through it’s historic streets.
We can book you a train between Bath and Bristol, though many slow travellers love to opt for the 20km Bristol and Bath Railway Path, which you can walk or cycle (we’ll have your luggage transferred for you).
Photograph: Ian Cylkowski/Unsplash
The North York Moors by train
York | Whitby | North York Moors National Park | Malton | Pickering | Thornton-le-Dale | The Cleveland Way
One of the UK’s 15 national parks, the North York Moors is one that is brilliantly accessible by train. With far fewer visitors than the Lake District or Peak District, a holiday here will immerse you in a land that has long been celebrated by artistic greats like the Brontë sisters, with its eclectic array of coast and moorland.
We recommend taking a train to York or Whitby to start your trip, both of which are rich with history. The train route between Middlesbrough and Whitby follows the national park at many points, especially between Great Ayton and Battersby. For hiking in and around the park itself, we recommend taking the bus to Thornton-le-Dale; we can handle your bookings and luggage transfers from there.
If you have a bit more time on your hands, we also recommend including the Cleveland Way National Trail on this holiday, a 175km coastal walking route through Robin Hood’s Bay, Scarborough and Whitby.
Photograph: Dean McQuade/Unsplash
Isle of Skye and beyond
London | Glasgow | Mallaig | Kyle of Lochalsh | Fort William | Caledonian Canal| Isle of Skye: Broadford | Portree
The Isle of Skye is the largest of the Inner Hebridean Islands and one of Scotland’s best destinations for wildlife and wild places, yet still very accessible. Avoid day trippers going by car over the Skye Bridge by travelling the slow way on a train to Mallaig and then catching a ferry to the island. From here you can explore on foot, bike, by rented car or local bus, discovering a vast island where twelve Cuillin Munros are its most famous peaks. Skye’s wild places, many of which are protected by the leading conservation organisation John Muir Trust, are reason alone for spending at least five days in this part of the world.
Our highlights for a Skye-centred trip not only include time on the island, but also some of the best places to visit by train on Scotland’s mainland. If you take the train to Inverness, you can then connect with one of the most magnificent train journeys in the world, and one of Scotland’s best kept secrets, known as the Kyle Line, to Kyle of Lochalsh where you can pick up a bus to Skye. A more common option is to take the train to Mallaig from Glasgow and then the ferry from Mallaig port.
We highly recommend including a trip to Fort William in this Scotland itinerary. Located at the head of Loch Linnhe, a sea loch, and at the foot of Ben Nevis, which needs no introduction, it is considered by many to be the outdoor capital of the UK. From Fort William you have not only Scotland’s highest peak at your beck and call, but also the Caledonian Canal to explore by kayak, on foot or by bike.
If you’re in the mood for an easy slow travel staycation, we can organise all of these for you in just a few clicks. We’ll create you a personal journey plan and book your travel, accommodation and luggage transfers.